WHY YOU SHOULD STOP USING SYNTHETIC TAMPONS NOW!

This 24 year old gorgeous model, Lauren Wasser, lost her leg when she got Toxic Shock Syndrome from using a synthetic tampon, reports Vice.

The mucosal lining of the vagina is one of the most absorbent areas of the body, yet women expose themselves to a variety of harmful chemicals through the use of tampons every month. Most tampons that are sold in the stores are chlorine-bleached and made from 100% rayon or a mixture of conventionally grown cotton and rayon.

Rayon is a synthetic fibre derived from wood pulp that is commonly chlorine-bleached to make it fully absorbent. Surfactants are also used in tampons to increase absorbency. These super absorbent fibres absorb not only the menstrual blood, but also normal vaginal secretions resulting in dryness of vaginal tissues.

The fibres can also become embedded in the vaginal walls and amplify the production of Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin which causes Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a potentially fatal illness, according to the The Organic Institute.

“It’s the most excruciating pain I’ve ever—I don’t know how to describe it to you,” says Lauren Wasser in a statement to Vice. “My belly was huge. I had tubes everywhere. I couldn’t speak,” she says. Next to the bed, there was a tube of black toxins that had been flushed out of her bloodstream.

Chlorine bleaching of the wood pulp produces dioxin. Research suggests that dioxin is an endocrine disrupting chemical that mimics oestrogen and disrupts hormonal function within the body. It has been linked to immune system suppression, breast cancer, reproductive and developmental problems.

You should read the packaging carefully to find out what the tampons and pads you are using are made from. Choose unbleached and unscented tampons and sanitary pads that are made from the safest material, which is 100 per cent certified organic cotton. Certified organic cotton is free of residues from chemical pesticides, fungicides, fertilisers and defoliants commonly used on conventionally grown cotton.